The Home Ministry in Maharashtra seems to have emerged as a bone of contention between the three Mahayuti partners — the BJP, the Shiv Sena, and the NCP. While Shiv Sena's Gulabrao Patil said that Shiv Sena would have the Home Ministry, NCP MLA Amol Mitkari said Patil was "not making sense". Ahead of the swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, sources had said BJP was not ready to part with the portfolio.
Mitkari in an interaction with ABP News, said: "Gulabrao Patil should talk sensibly. What Ajit Pawar has given to the state is commendable. Gulabrao should be like Gulab [rose] and not julab [dysentery]. You don't get a ministry by saying such things; be careful," he said. Mitkari further said each party will get what they deserve.
On Thursday, Patil targeted Ajit Pawar, claiming that the Shiv Sena lost votes because of Ajit Pawar's entry into the Mahayuti government. "We would have won more seats and would have got more portfolios as well had NCP not been there," Patil said. He also said that the Shiv Sena had accepted the Deputy CM's post but it wanted the Home Department as well.
Devendra Fadnavis's first challenge as the head of the Mahayuti government will be to strike a balance among the allies. Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the new Chief Minister said, "Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar are with me. People want a stable government, so they have chosen us and we will stay and work together. We will continue the 'Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana'."
Considering the BMC elections early next year, the BJP would be prudent to keep its allies happy. Both Shiv Sena and NCP are contesting the Mumbai civic polls as factions for the first time.
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